The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 604: Crowning in Advance
When Jia Huan returned to Yueweiju, it was almost noon, but the sky was gloomy, the north wind was as sharp as a knife, and the chill was bone-chilling. It looked like it was going to snow again.

"Third Master, drink it quickly to drive away the cold." Qingwen brought a cup of warm rice wine. Jia Huan took it and drank it all. Suddenly he felt a warm current flowing through his limbs and bones. He stamped his feet and said, "It's really cold. I'm afraid it's going to snow again."

"This year is indeed colder than in previous years, and the snow is particularly heavy." Qingwen helped Jia Huan take off his official robe and gauze crown and change him into casual home clothes.

"Is Sister Ping'er not at home?" Jia Huan walked over to the stove and sat down, asking while warming himself by the fire.

Qingwen curled her lips and whispered, "I knew you would ask."

"What are you mumbling about?" Jia Huan asked with a smile.

Qingwen snorted softly, "Nothing, the old lady sent someone to look for her. Ping'er is probably in the old lady's room collecting her reward. Mandalin has gone to visit someone else. It's dinner time now, so she should be back soon. If Third Master is in a hurry, I'll go and urge her."

"Here you go again. I just asked a question and you said a bunch of sarcastic words." Jia Huan smiled and shook his head.

Qingwen's pretty face turned red, and she spat, "Who... said something sour? You scholars are sour."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes, it's me who's sore. I've been riding all the way back here, and my waist and legs are sore. My dear sister, please give me a massage while you have time. I'll be your slave in the next life to repay you."

Qingwen burst out laughing and glared at Jia Huan: "You don't have to say sour words and sweet words. I have rough hands and feet, a clumsy mouth, and a bad temper. It would be bad if I hurt the Third Master without knowing the severity of the situation. It's better to just wait for Ping'er to come back."

Although Qingwen said this, she still sat down next to Jia Huan and gently massaged his thighs. Jia Huan leaned back in the chair comfortably and said with a smile, "You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Qingwen rolled her eyes charmingly and asked, "What kind of person is Mandarin? A soft mouth and a soft heart?"

Jia Huan nodded and said, "But her tofu is bigger than yours."

Qingwen was stunned for a moment, and it took her a while to come to her senses. Her pretty face suddenly turned red, and she pinched the inside of someone's thigh with her fingers, causing the person to scream in pain and almost jump off the chair.

Qingwen covered her mouth and giggled, leaning forward and backward. Jia Huan pretended to pinch her back, but Qingwen thrust her chest out and looked at Jia Huan provocatively. Jia Huan pinched Qingwen's thigh, but he couldn't bear to use force. In the end, he just pinched it lightly and said, "I won't argue with you, a little girl."

Qingwen felt sweet in her heart, and couldn't help showing a sly smile. She gently rubbed the painful part of Jia Huan's body and said angrily, "See if you dare to say some indecent words to tease me."

Jia Huan smiled, closed his eyes and said nothing, silently enjoying the gentle service of the maid's jade hands. Seeing Jia Huan remained silent, Qingwen felt a little uneasy and whispered, "Is the Third Master angry?"

Jia Huan opened his eyes and smiled, "No, your Third Master is not that stingy."

"Then why don't you speak?" Qingwen pouted.

"I'm tired. Can't you take a break?"

"No." Qingwen chuckled after she finished speaking. Jia Huan leaned over and lay comfortably on the maid's thighs, saying, "Rub your waist."

Qingwen couldn't help blushing and her heartbeat. She bit her lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally silently massaged someone's lower back. After just a moment, Jia Huan felt so comfortable that he almost fell asleep. He muttered in a dreamy voice: "Sister Qingwen, why don't you go out and play? The New Year is coming soon. You don't have to stay at home all day. Go around and join in the fun."

"I would like to go out and play, but there is charcoal and fire in this room, and someone has to look after it. Since the Third Master said so, I will go around after lunch. The Fourth Miss just returned home, and her place is busy, but I hope she won't ask me to do anything again."

"Go and have fun, I promise I won't look for you." Jia Huan said.

Qingwen curled her lips and said, "That's great. I'd rather be a free spirit than stay in the house and get in your way." Jia Huan said in surprise, "What's the matter with us? When did I ever think you were a nuisance? It's really inexplicable!"

Qingwen snorted, "Don't think I don't know what you guys are doing secretly. It took me nearly an hour to take a bath last night."

Jia Huan said with a smile: "Why don't you serve me tonight? You are quick and agile, so it should be much faster."

Qingwen spat lightly, "Don't come here, go find Mandarin, that bitch is waiting for you."

"Who is talking bad about others behind their backs?" Mandarin walked in with a smile on her face. She was wearing a white fox fur coat, looking like an ice beauty. She stretched out her hands and covered Qingwen's face from behind, making her scream with cold. She wanted to break free, but her legs were held down by Jia Huan.

Mandaline giggled and put her hand into Qingwen's collar even more unscrupulously, causing Qingwen to shiver.

That’s too much. I, the master, have never touched her… Cough, Jia Huan coughed lightly and sat up. Qingwen immediately pounced on Mandarin with her teeth and claws bared, but the latter ran away with a smile.

Just as the two maids were chasing and playing around the stove, Ping'er came back from outside. Seeing this, she couldn't help but scold and laugh, "What are you two doing? Be careful, you knocked over the stove. There's boiling water and hot coals. Don't cry if you get burned. Third Master, you don't do anything about it."

"Let them make a fuss." Jia Huan pulled Ping'er to sit beside him, held her cold hands to his mouth and blew a few breaths of hot air, then lifted her clothes and put them in his arms to hold them.

Ping'er felt sweet in her heart and asked softly, "How early or late did the Third Master come back?"

"I've been back for a while. By the way, does the old lady want to see Sister Ping'er about anything?" Jia Huan asked casually.

Ping'er's sweet face couldn't help but blush, and she stammered, "Nothing... nothing."

Jia Huan's heart moved, and he looked into Ping'er's beautiful eyes and asked, "Are you really okay?"

At this time, Qingwen and Mandalin also stopped playing and sat around. Qingwen asked, "If you are fine, why did the old lady suddenly ask you to go?"

Ping Er smiled and said, "Oh, yes, the Third Master will be fifteen after the New Year, and it is time for him to have his coming-of-age ceremony, but he probably won't have time to come back home by then, so the old lady plans to have his coming-of-age ceremony performed in advance on New Year's Eve while he is at home."

The custom in the Jin Dynasty was that men would wear a cap at the age of fifteen, and women would wear a hairpin at the age of fifteen, both of which meant they had reached adulthood and could get married and have children.

Jia Huan naturally didn't care. It was just a ceremony anyway. It didn't matter whether it was done earlier or later. Besides, his mental age was already over fifteen years old. So he smiled and said, "Let the old lady decide. As long as she is happy, what else can she do?"

"No...no more!" Ping'er shook her head, but her cheeks turned red after she finished speaking.

Jia Huan couldn't help but feel surprised, but he didn't ask much. After lunch, Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, Xue Baoqin, the three sisters, and even Li Wan came together.

Jia Huan was naturally very happy, and the Grand View Garden became lively again. He thought that the girls came to invite him to start a poetry club, but they ended up congratulating Ping'er.

"Good sister-in-law, congratulations!" Daiyu and the others smiled quietly with their hands covering their mouths, and the maids also said, "Congratulations, Aunt Ping!"

Ping'er blushed and hid away in shame.

It turned out that Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang had already made the decision, and Jia Zheng also agreed. After Jia Huan was crowned, Ping'er would be allowed to have a formal wedding, and officially become Jia Huan's concubine, upgraded to a concubine, and her monthly salary would also be increased from one tael of silver to two taels of silver.

(End of this chapter)